Amid the revelry of TNT’s newest mastery of Barangay Ginebra and capturing the PBA Commissioner’s Cup crown, a beaming group supervisor, Jojo Lastimosa, grabbed Kelly Williams and instantly gestured the No. 1 signal.
“We bought another to go! We bought the All-Filipino!” Lastimosa was overheard shouting at Williams after the Tropang Giga moved on the brink of finishing the league’s final group accomplishment.
The coveted Grand Slam has been pulled off 5 occasions by simply 4 groups within the 50-year historical past of the massive league, with Crispa doing it twice in 1976 and 1983, San Miguel Beer in 1989 and Tim Cone’s Alaska in 1996, and San Mig Tremendous Espresso in 2014.
Lastimosa is aware of a factor about pulling off the triple crown, being a part of that 1996 Alaska squad. Williams, in the meantime, had a firsthand expertise of being inches wanting being a part of that unique membership.
It was again in 2011 when Williams, Jayson Castro, Jimmy Alapag, Ryan Reyes, Harvey Carey and Ranidel de Ocampo, and coach Chot Reyes had been additionally on the cusp of glory, bringing residence the Philippine Cup and the Commissioner’s Cup.
However the Grand Slam dream was dashed within the season-ending Governors’ Cup when San Miguel Beer, then often called Petron, beat TNT within the deciding Sport 7, and was left to affix the likes of Toyota in 1975, Crispa in 1977, Nice Style in 1985, Tanduay in 1986, Sunkist in 1995, Alaska in 1998, and most just lately, San Miguel in 2017 and 2019 as groups that fell one title wanting the triple crown.
“Boss Jolas has introduced it earlier than. However we’re simply gonna get pleasure from this win,” Williams later mentioned.
Reyes was initially deflecting any Grand Slam talks after Sport 7, which noticed the Tropang Giga needing additional time to prevail, 87-83, earlier than 22,000 followers at Sensible Araneta Coliseum. He did acknowledge that it’s one thing that may’t be averted.
‘Get pleasure from this primary’
“I don’t suppose we will escape the speak of it,” Reyes mentioned. “However proper now, we simply wish to get pleasure from this [Commissioner’s Cup title] first. We’re completely drained and what we want is to relaxation and get better, after which we will take into consideration the All-Filipino.”
However to win the Philippine Cup, TNT might want to present the identical grit that led to the midseason conquest towards all odds, particularly with out Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and veteran chief Jayson Castro.
Castro is predicted to overlook the remainder of the season after his knee harm within the semifinal collection towards Rain or Shine, and the impression earlier than the Finals was that TNT can be in for a tough process to beat Ginebra anew with out his presence and management.
However PBA Press Corps Finals Most Useful Participant Rey Nambatac crammed main sneakers in his absence, and his excellent displaying within the championship is one thing that’s going to be the naked minimal within the third convention.
“I consider in my guys,” Hollis-Jefferson mentioned. “I consider that the vitality, that the aura that I’ve are available in with that I proceed to provide to them, that they’d let it lead them into the All-Filipino. You recognize, the sky’s the restrict [as long as] everybody stays wholesome and everybody works laborious.”
